Sant'Antonio

Balanced bouquet of citrus fruits and floral aromas, fresh and tasty on the palate. A distinctly accessible Soave with a lot of grace at a small price. SUPERIORE.DE

Cherry-red Valpolicella with a pleasantly light scent of currants and raspberries. Very harmonious and discreet on the palate, velvety and fruity on the finish. An ideal accompaniment to food, due to its slender character also good for lunch. SUPERIORE.DE

"A smoky mix of raspberry preserves, sage and freshly cracked pepper waft up from the 2020 Valpolicella Nanfre'. This is silky in texture and decidedly savory, repleting the pepper notes from the bouquet that mix with salty minerals and brisk acids, yet I’m craving more freshness. It finishes long and staining, only lightly structured with hints of licorice." Vinous

"Aromas of fresh red cherries and berries, as well as a lightly earthy, nutty note, which develops into a caramelly flavor on the palate that, together with the persistent fruit and lightly firm tannin, gives a very nice, creamy-fruit finish with good length. Delicious, young Valpo." James Suckling

In Valpolicella, single-varietal wines from the native Corvina variety are becoming more and more common. And Scaia shows a beautiful portrait: light ruby red, mineral notes in the bouquet, plus small red berries and cherries, round on the palate and with good freshness. Wonderful to drink. SUPERIORE.DE

"Breathily herbal nose – bay leaf, lovage, smoky peppercorn. Muscular and lithe and super-savoury with a strong liquorice note. Caraway seed, angelica and red plums. Transparent tannins; honest and a way that runs a direct, tobacco-leaf-scented line from the tip of the tongue to the last flourishing sign-off. This sings of Veneto." Jancis Robinson

Fresh and very sought-after favourite Italian with an excellent value. Scaia is a cuvée of Garganega and Chardonnay and smells of yellow fruit, is fresh, aromatic and very drinkable. SUPERIORE.DE

"Fennel, lemon zest, Japanese yuzu and bitter almond on the nose, following through to a medium-bodied palate with fresh, high-pitched acidity that leaves your palate watering. Vivid yuzu skins in the finish. Delicious and crisp." James Suckling

Dark shining ruby garnet. In the nose elegant spice of cloves, pepper, then ripe Amarena cherries and some violets. Opens very soft and creamy on the palate, polished tannins, pleasant and uncomplicated on the tongue, juicy and slightly salty on the finish. SUPERIORE.DE

"Ashen soil and smoke gives way to dusty black cherries and savory herbs as the 2019 Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso Monti Garbi opens in the glass. This is savory and velvety in feel, mixing salty and sweet in its blend of black cherries and exotic spice. The result is actually remarkably fresh, while also drenching the palate in primary fruit and leaving a lightly structured sensation. The 2019 is a big wine, but remarkably balanced." Vinous

Pale yellow, crystalline colour. Harmonious aroma of citrus fruits, especially grapefruit. Powerful on the palate, fresh, long lasting and mineral reverberation accompanied by a wonderful almond/pepper note. SUPERIORE.DE

"A lemony fruit base, but it's the hints of mimosa, pungent earth and almond that really attract. The same character on the palate, which is medium-bodied and shows a touch of tannin-like firmness, carrying a tight bead of citrusy flavor into the long finish. Serious Soave here that pricks all the senses." James Suckling

Ruby red, the bouquet fruity of ripe sour cherries and wild berries, nuances of hay and liquorice. Full-bodied and long-lasting taste with aromas of cassis and velvety structure. SUPERIORE.DE

"Pale browning ruby. Smells like amaretto and tastes like Kahlúa infused with thyme and plum skins. Lots of dried sage, coffee beans, damson jam – all tucked into a supple swathe of forgiving but intentional tannins and beribboned with bitter-fresh acidity. A wine begging for coffee-rubbed beef short-ribs!" Jancis Robinson

"Sweet berries and flowers on the nose with a spicy edge. A medium-bodied red with a flavorful palate and some generous red-berries, coffee and spices in the center-palate. Smart generosity makes it easy to appreciate and consumer-friendly." James Suckling

Wonderfully complex Soave from vines over 20 years old. Sparkling light yellow with green reflections. In the restrained reductive bouquet of bitter almond, flint, jam of fruits with white and yellow flesh, dried fruits and pastries. The palate is dry, warm and soft, fresh, spicy and slightly astringent, with a full, balanced body. With increasing aeration, it reveals its great complexity. SUPERIORE.DE

"Intense aromas and flavors of red peach, almond paste and bright, floral notes. Medium-to full-bodied with a dense core of peachy fruit and a long, silky finish that features the more savory, almond and floral elements. Very intense, but never too much. Delicious Soave that's so easy to drink." James Suckling

"Better known for its range of Valpolicella and Amarone, Tenuta Sant'Antonio also has a property planted to Garganega on the stony calcareous soils of Monte di Colognole, on the western edge of the DOC zone. Vecchie Vigne is a low-yield, barrique-aged, 5,000-bottle selection. The 2018 has attractive citrus and white blossom notes next to the oak on the nose, and a solid palate with chunky concentration and good ageing prospects." Decanter

Dark ruby red. La Bandina is a parade Valpolicella with a very complex, nuanced bouquet of small wild berries, cherries, liquorice and tobacco. Fresh, balsamic and warm on the palate with a dark bouquet of wild berries, chocolate, coffee and plum. A long finish with a very balanced acidity-tannin structure and impressive depth. SUPERIORE.DE

"Dark shining ruby. A bit restrained in the nose at first, then shows red berry and warm-hearted with a lot of air contact, ripe raspberry with light spice in the finish. On the palate of medium structure, nevertheless spreads out well, light spice, noticeable tannin, still young, dry finish." Falstaff

Amarone Selezione Antonio Castagnedi delivers high quality for its price every year: diverse aromas of violets, graphite, black cherries and minerals and a lively, structured, down-to-earth style. This richness and depth make it the perfect companion to winter cuisine. SUPERIORE.DE

"Bright ruby red with sparkling reflexes. In the nose predominantly of raspberry jam, also has bloody-meaty components, white pepper, in the finish delicate mint, as well as roasted almonds. Immediately present on the palate, shows grippy, gripping tannin, shows malty tones." Falstaff

"Prunes and clove-spiced chocolate. Really scented, as if pot pourri dust and souk spices had been folded, over and over, into the silk of the fruit. Extraordinarily delicate – fragile, almost – for an Amarone. It's like walking into a very old church, thick stone walls, flagstone floor worn by millenia of knees, cool and shadowed after the bright hot light of the afternoon outside; there is this single shaft of daylight entering through the one stained-glass window behind the altar; and the dust motes are slowly spinning in the silence of its line." Jancis Robinson

"Intense dried cranberry and steely blackcurrant on the nose. Balsamic, dried-herb and licoricy oak, too. Full and very concentrated on the palate with a focused, flavorful drive of spicy fruit and well-integrated tannins that pushes on and on. Tempting now, but best from 2023." James Suckling

"The 2017 Amarone della Valpolicella Antonio Castagnedi is dusty and floral, with black cherries lifted by smoky crushed stone. This impresses further with undeniably elegant textures, silky and refined, more savory than sweet and with a saturation of primary fruits. Plums, blackberries, minerals and brown spice can all be found, as the 2017 comes across as powerful and elegant. This is a tamed beast of an Amarone with depths of intensity and full of character as it tapers off balsamic, lightly structured and spicy. Wow, and at a balanced 15% abv." Vinous

The star from Tenuta Sant'Antonio: A rich dark ruby red, its bouquet of wild fruits, black pepper, tobacco and spices is a delight for the nose. Fruity and full-bodied, yet velvety and very sophisticated in its character - an austere, characterful and elegant Amarone, whose terrificfinish is accompanied by noble tannins. SUPERIORE.DE

"Deep garnet. In the nose at first discreetly of black tea, then of ripe forest berries, rose hips, in the reverberation light spicy tones. Full and radiant on the palate, opens on elegant spicy tones, nice drinking flow, compact finish." Falstaff

"Very potent aromas of blackcurrants and toasted oak with hints of eucalyptus and black-cherry liqueur, following through to a full palate with firm tannins that drive the fruit on through the long finish. There’s a kind of raw, almost rough-and-ready character to this that’s a bit hard work now. Will even out with bottle age. One for the cellar." James Suckling

"The Tenuta Sant'Antonio 2016 Amarone della Valpolicella Campo dei Gigli is a dark and brooding wine packed tight with richly concentrated black fruit delivered in thick and lasting layers. The bouquet peels back to reveal dark plum and baked blackberry, but there is also a major focus on spice, tar, barbecue smoke and teriyaki. The wine makes a wide and large impact on the palate. It shows enormous textural richness and softly integrated tannins. You can age this blend over the long haul." Robert Parker

"A unique yet beguiling mix of smoked meats, lavender and violets evolves into dusty black berries and currants as the 2016 Amarone della Valpolicella Campo dei Gigli blossoms in the glass. It’s velvety-smooth yet spicy and mineral in style, with penetrating dark red fruits giving way to dark chocolate, balsam herbs and building tannins. This tapers off remarkably long and primary, yet it maintains amazing freshness, leaving exotic inner florals and spices to linger. The 2016 is a gentle giant of an Amarone that will need a little time to show its best. It spent three years refining in neutral Tonneaux." Vinous

The lily is the flower of all flowers in Valpolicella and this exceptional Riserva is dedicated to the best of them. The grapes for this new flagship of the winery, produced in very small quantities, grow on 300-metre-high soils of mainly limestone with some sandy silt in the Monti Garbi district of the municipality of Mezzane di Sotto. The vines have an average age of 40 years and produce only small yields. After harvest, the grapes are selected twice by hand. The Lilium Est is aged for three years in new Bordeaux barriques, the laths of which have been dried outdoors for 36 months. Before it is sold, it remains in the bottle for at least another four years.

Dense ruby red, clear and consistent, olfactory very powerful, extensive and fine. The first impression is of balsamic, almost iodine-like notes, transported by the remarkable alcoholic content, to immediately reveal the characteristic scent of ripe cherries, plums, vanilla and ginger. Tertiary aromas of cocoa, chocolate, tar, almonds, roasted hazelnuts and pipe tobacco follow on the heels. The palate is dry, warm and soft, well supported by a remarkable acidity, of great palatability and equipped with an enveloping tannic structure. As it progresses, it is balanced, very persistent and fine. Undoubtedly a highly elegant, complex wine monument - a strong companion with broad shoulders that will defy time. SUPERIORE.DE

"Compact, dark ruby garnet. Deep nose with notes of plums, molasses and some coriander seeds. Combines power and suppleness, initially shows a lot of juicy, amazingly fresh cherry fruit, then opens up with fine tannin, very polished, juicy, very long final." Falstaff

"Here's a terrific late-release Riserva that gives you ample perspective into the aging potential of the hearty wines of the Veneto that are so carefully crafted with air-dried fruit. The Tenuta Sant'Antonio 2010 Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva Lilium Est is a seriously powerful wine from an epic vintage. This wine leaves a big impact, there's no escaping that brawn, shaped by the appassimento process in which the grapes lose up to one-third of their water volume before being pressed. The results deliver more extract, more sugar, ultimately more alcohol and much more flavor intensity and textural richness. The finish shows cinnamon, black tar, campfire smoke and syrupy blackberry preserves. It's almost too much of a good thing." Robert Parker

"Intense dried black fruit with immediate notes of graphite, kalonji spice and dark chocolate. Much more on the nose if you linger. Full-bodied with an almost fruit-liqueur sensation on the palate. Yet, the engaging, still lightly firm tannins are fruit-based and the overall balance is potent but resolved. Sitting right in the sweet spot now, but will age for an age. Super quality here." James Suckling